Denver Broncos' Demaryius Thomas "Dissed" by the NFL Network Top 100?

By Jim Heath

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Mile High Twitter world consisting of Denver Broncos fans and media outlets are buzzing today with the news that wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was No. 68 on the NFL Network’s top 100 players for 2013. Fans are not impressed and Colorado media reviews are not flattering.

Feeling slighted by the popular show just may be an understatement, and rightfully so. Obviously the Rocky Mountain fan base are a bit biased when it comes to one of their own, however this argument has teeth.

Trying to understand the NFL Network’s logic, we turn to the 2012 wide receiver statistics. Thomas was number eight a season ago in receptions with 94 and Bowe is nowhere to be found in the upper echelon of receivers – he had 59.

Thomas was number four in receiving yards just behind Detroit Lions’ Calvin Johnson, Houston Texans’ Andre Johnson and the Chicago Bears’ Brandon Marshall with 1,434 yards. Note, these are three teams with no clear-cut number two or even three receiver in the lineup a season ago. Bowe had 801. I’m struggling with the logic here.

Let’s look at touchdowns. Thomas, who had to share end zone grabs with Eric Decker, Brandon Stokley and tight ends Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme, had 10 ranking him in the top seven of wide receivers. Bowe had three.

In all fairness Bowe missed three games in the 2012 season, however it is hard to believe that in three games he could make up the considerable differences in stats between him and Thomas.

So by my calculations the NFL Network’s logic for ranking Thomas so low is simple – they have none. There is a reason the Broncos Twitter world is on fire today, and their feelings statistically speaking are justified.

Before the NFL Network gets through their top 100 of 2013, a few more Broncos names should be on the list. If the network hopes to maintain the loyalty of high altitude followers, they better be spot on with those names because they drastically missed the mark with DT.

Jim Heath is a Fantasy Football writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_heath, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google